


Taking a Chance

by Flamegirl22



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Don't Post To Another Site, Exploring Relationships, Friendship, Gen, Tony Stark Bingo 2020, injury to a dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:33:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23331688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flamegirl22/pseuds/Flamegirl22
Summary: Tony has only met two people in his entire life that he has felt an instant, strong connection to, a pull he cannot explain or understand. Until, one day, when he is in New York City, he is drawn to a stranger with a massive dog. An accident brings them together and Tony finds himself growing closer to the brunette. Steve isn’t happy at the intrusion into their lives, but Tony can’t deny or ignore the connection he has with Bucky. Tony risks straining his connection to Steve as he explores his pull to Bucky.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6
Collections: Tony Stark Bingo 2020





	Taking a Chance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [betheflame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/betheflame/gifts).



> This is for the Tony Stark Bingo.
> 
> Title: Taking a Chance  
> Name of Participant: Flamegirl22  
> Card Number: 3112  
> Square Filled: S3 (Au:Nonpowered)  
> Ship: Tony Stark & Bucky Barnes, Tony Stark & Steve Rogers  
> Rating: G  
> Major Tags: Injury to a dog  
> Summary: Tony has only met two people in his entire life that he has felt an instant, strong connection to, a pull he cannot explain or understand. Until, one day, when he is in New York City, he is drawn to a stranger with a massive dog. An accident brings them together and Tony finds himself growing closer to the brunette. Steve isn’t happy at the intrusion into their lives, but Tony can’t deny or ignore the connection he has with Bucky. Tony risks straining his connection to Steve as he explores his pull to Bucky.  
> Word Count: 10,639
> 
> Thanks to feyrelay for being a sounding board throughout writing this.
> 
> Thank you to my beta rebel-author-chick for polishing this story for me. She did a wonderful job.
> 
> This is for the lovely Pepper aka betheflame. Back in December I was dealing with a lot of family drama and she wrote a one-shot that really brightened my day. So, I wanted to return the favor, as a thank you. I hope you enjoy it Pepper! Thanks for the idea!

Taking a Chance

Tony is standing outside a Starbucks on the corner of a busy intersection. He had his red-tinted glasses perched on his nose, watching people hurry around him. People were giving him looks, but no one was stupid enough to approach him with Happy and two other members of his security team around him. It still frustrated him that Happy insisted on not only following him himself but also two others as well. Tony was armed, he was always armed, and he could handle himself just fine. But between Happy, Pepper, Rhodey and Steve, they had convinced him to go back to a security detail after his latest kidnapping. 

He had been held for five days. They wanted money from SI. Tony told them SI doesn’t pay ransoms, but they didn’t listen to him. So he spent an unpleasant four days being knocked around while he plotted his own escape. By the time the authorities had shown up, Tony was outside the warehouse and the men who kidnapped him were tied up inside, in various states of injury. Pepper and Rhodey had been the first to talk to him about going back to having a security detail, but it was Steve, when they were finally alone together, who convinced him. Tony simply couldn’t tell Steve no; not when he turned his big, worried blue eyes on him. 

There had been a lot of talk between him, Pepper and Happy about who was going to be on his detail. When he had refused to have security a year ago, Happy had switched to heading up Pepper’s detail. Pepper and Happy convinced Tony to take Happy back, since he was the bigger target of the two of them. Tony hadn’t wanted him to leave Pepper, but Happy vetted her new head of security himself and was satisfied. So now Tony had security again. Steve was happy, so Tony figured he could tolerate the annoyance of being followed around. Happy was smart enough to try not to hinder his movements too much.

So here they were, after an extremely long, boring meeting that Tony had dealt with alone (Pepper was on the West Coast dealing with her own set of meetings) and he needed some fresh air-well as fresh as you get in New York City- and a bit of exercise before the next round. Tony had bought them all some coffee, amid a bunch of good-natured ribbing for the youngest bodyguard for his ridiculous order of the Pink Drink. Tony couldn’t help but smile every time he looked at him. Here was this young man-at least 6’3”, clearly a former soldier from the way he carried himself- standing with a”don’t screw with me look”on his face, holding a light pink drink with a bright pink straw. The kid’s name was Matt and he bore the teasing with grace and quiet dignity that was admirable for one so young. Plus, he knew they were just kidding, that none of them were actually judging him for his choice of beverage. 

As Tony people watched he allowed his mind to drift upstate. Steve had been sick of city life and they decided to leave. By helicopter, it wasn’t all that long of a commute, shorter than most who work in the city, and it gave Steve a chance to have the kind of practice he wanted. They had built the largest animal hospital in New York and most of the East Coast. Steve worked with eleven other full-time veterinarians, a whole team of veterinary assistants and a few veterinary anesthesiologists. 

They had met after a botched kidnapping attempt when they were both in their early twenties. Tony had been in a private hospital after having surgery to remove his appendix. It had ruptured on him and he had almost died before they had been able to remove it. Since it had been emergency surgery and his regular surgeon hadn’t been around. He was actually on vacation at the time. The surgeon he had seen had sold him to the highest bidder. They had snuck him out of the ICU under the pretense of testing. Tony had regained consciousness while they were transporting him. He managed to overpower the two men and rip open his incision. He was slowly bleeding to death when Steve had driven by the site of the crash. Steve, being Steve, had stopped to see if he could help and he found Tony. He used what he had learned in vet school to keep him alive until help could arrive. When Tony had woken in the hospital, Steve was still at his side. They have been near inseparable since. Neither have ever been happier. The two men and the doctor were all still in prison. 

Tony glanced around again, taking in the activity around him. As he was scanning the crowd, a man on the other side of the street, waiting at the crosswalk, caught his eye. He was a tall, fit man, with black hair tied up in a man-bun. He was holding the leash of an absolutely massive dog. The man was well over six feet tall and the dog still stood above the man’s waist. He had a muzzle on but seemed perfectly content at the man’s side. Tony wasn’t sure what exactly was holding his attention. He was perfectly happy with his life and wasn’t interested in adding to it. And this man was hardly the first attractive man he had encountered, yet he couldn’t look away. Tony was still watching - and starting to wonder when it would start being creepy- when the crosswalk sign lit up they started across the road. When they were almost halfway across a taxi came screaming around the corner, striking both dog and the man. The man rolled up and over the top of the car while the dog disappeared under it. 

Before Tony thought about it, he was moving to help. He could hear his detail calling for him to wait, but he kept moving. Happy reached out and grabbed his shoulder, trying to stop him, but Tony whorled on him and leveled a stern look on his old friend. Tony could see the reluctance in Happy’s eyes, but let him go. Tony turned back to his intended target, glancing at the cars whipping by them. By the time he got to the middle of the road, the man was already up and had his dog in his arms. The animal was covered with blood and whimpering quietly. The man was talking to him softly, trying to comfort while assessing the injuries he had.

“Are you ok?” Tony asked as he crouched down beside him.  
The man looked up, seemingly noticing him for the first time and Tony was staring into startlingly blue eyes.  
“Yeah, I’m fine. My dog, not so much.” He said, looking back down at the dog.   
Tony leaned closer to get a better look at the dog. It didn’t look good. He leaned back and studied the man.  
“Look, you don’t know me and you have no reason to trust me, but I know the best vet in New York. Your dog is in bad shape. If he is going to make it, he needs the best. Steve is the best.”  
The man looked up at him and Tony could see the worry and the fear in those blue eyes. He bit his lip for a second and Tony kept his face as open as he could, understanding that the man before him was judging him. He must have seen something he liked because he started to nod.  
“Please,” he whispered. “Will he get me in?”  
Tony nodded solemnly. “He’ll fit you in.”  
The man just nodded, once again turning back to try to comfort his dog.

Tony stood, stepped away from the man and realized that he still didn’t know his name. He motioned to Matt and told him to go get his car. That they were taking the dog to Steve. Once Matt was striding away, the crowd being smart enough to part for him, he pulled out his phone and called Steve.  
“Hey Tones, I don’t have a lot of time to talk. I have Mrs. Shelly’s cat here and we were about to get started giving him his shots. Can I call you back?” Steve said warmly, hissing in the background.  
“Steve,” Tony said urgently.  
“Tony, what’s wrong?” Steve interrupted, worry in his voice.  
Tony felt guilty for making him worry, that hadn’t been his attention. “Sorry Boo, didn’t mean to scare you. I’m fine, but I’ve got a patient for you. He’s bad. He was hit by a car. I don’t think he was run over, but I can’t be sure. It doesn’t look like he had crush injuries. I don’t know what type of dog he is, but he’s huge. Think miniature pony.”  
“You’re in the city, right? Tony, I’m several hours away by car and at least half an hour by helicopter. I don’t know if he’ll make it this far. There are some good veterinarians in the city.”  
“You’re the best Steve. He needs the best if he’s going to have a shot.”  
Steve sighed and Tony could just see him running long fingers through his blond hair. “Ok. If you can get him here alive I’ll see what I can do. Once you have him in the car, call me back. I’ll need to know as much information as his owner can give me so we can be ready when you get here. I assume you are bringing him with you?”  
“Yeah. If he has a car, we’ll deal with getting it later. Matt’s coming with ours. He should fit in the back. Thankfully, Happy wanted the SUV today.”  
“Ok, I’ll see you soon,” Steve said before abruptly hanging up the phone. Tony looked at it, stunned. Steve was not the type to hang up on anyone, much less him. But he shook off his shock then turned back to the man and dog on the concrete. The puddle of blood around them had grown since he last looked at them. That was concerning. Happy was there now, kneeling beside them and applying pressure to the biggest gash the animal had. His back leg was ripped open. Thankfully the poor animal seemed to have passed out. He wasn’t making those heartbreaking whimpering noises anymore, but Tony could see him struggling to breathe, his chest heaving. Tony knew he wouldn’t make it in time, it was simply too far. It would take almost an hour to get out of the city. Making a quick decision he turned away from them again and paced away as he made another call.

When the phone was picked up, Tony didn’t give the other person a chance to say anything before he started to talk.  
“If you can get my helo to the top of SI within the next ten minutes I will give you a ten thousand dollar bonus. We are going home and I have an emergency case for Steve. He will not survive a drive, it’ll take too long.” Tony said.   
There was a pause, then the pilot replied “I’ll be there. Are you going to be able to get there?”  
“I’ll get us there. If it means this dog has a fighting chance, I’ll get us there.” Tony said grimly.  
There was a pause before he said “I didn’t realize you were such a dog lover.”  
“I’m not,” Tony said, before hanging up the phone, having no desire to explain that it has little to do with the dog and almost everything to do with the man. 

Tony wasn’t sure what was happening but he had only felt this strongly about a few people in his life, he had learned not to ignore that feeling. As a man of science, he had never mentioned these “feelings” to anyone else. It was hard enough for him to reconcile them to himself. Not even Steve knew about them. To make himself feel better he called them intuition and moved on. He didn’t want this man to be sad and Tony could tell just by looking at him, losing his dog would devastate him. Tony was going to do everything in his power to stop that from happening. His reasons were his own. 

Tony moved back over to where the man, Happy and the dog still were.   
“Ok, I have my helicopter coming. It’ll meet us at SI. When Matt gets here we will load the dog into the back of the SUV. You’ll be able to keep pressure on the wounds from the back and the backseat. When we get to SI we’ll get one of the rolling tables from the labs, I’ll have one of the R&D guys meet us on the loading docks with it. From there we will get on my private elevator and that’ll take us straight to the roof. Be ready to move in less than two minutes. The SUV is incoming. How much does the dog weigh?”

The brunette looked up from the dog and said “about one hundred pounds, give or take ten.”  
“What are you thinking, Boss?” Happy asked.  
Tony looked at the street, which is gridlocked, to the men before him. He ran his hand through his hair then said “I’m starting to wonder if it wouldn’t be faster to get him there on foot. It’s only two blocks. Do you think we could bind his wounds tight enough to keep him from bleeding out?”  
“I don’t know, Boss. How would we carry him?”

Tony looked up when he heard Matt’s voice yelling in the distance. He was shocked when he saw the young man running up the street between the unmoving cars, pushing a stainless steel table. Tony stood and went to meet him.  
“I’m sorry Mr, Stark, I know you told me to get the car, but we wouldn’t get back to SI in time. I assume that’s where we are going. He won’t last the drive to Dr. Rogers, so I assumed that you were calling in your helo.” Matt said as he caught up with Tony, then he paused, looking uncertain for the first time. “Please tell me I didn’t just destroy that dog's shot at life.”  
“Nope, you just helped it. After I sent you to get the car, I realized that we would never get there in time.” Tony turned to the stranger and Happy and announced “let’s get him on the table and get moving.”

The stranger and Happy carefully lifted the dog onto the tabletop.   
“Someone get up there and apply pressure,” Tony said.  
One of his other security team stepped forward. He looked at the dog’s owner and said, “I was a Corpsman attached to the Fleet Marine Force. My name’s Todd. Will you let me do what I can for him?”  
“I’m Bucky and yeah. I got basic first aid from the Army but I don’t know how to fix this. I know you guys take care of the dogs if ya have to. I’d appreciate it.”  
Tony watched Todd climb up on the table and start putting pressure on the worst of the wounds.   
“Alright,” he said. “Time to move.”

Bucky stepped forward and claimed the front of the table. Happy took the back and Matt stepped forward to clear a path for them.  
“Boss, stay between Matt and Bucky.” Happy said firmly from the back.  
Tony looked at him over the top of his glasses, but Happy just scowled back. With a slight eye roll, Tony obediently took his place in the line.   
“Let me know if I need to slow down,” Matt said, before starting to move forward.  
Most people were smart enough to move out of the way, but when people weren’t, Matt dealt   
with it quickly, with a bark of “Make a hole!” Tony didn't have to see his face to know that he was scowling at everyone in his way. He had seen that look before when Tony was slowly bleeding from a leg wound. He didn’t have to say anything for everyone around him to get the message ‘move or I’ll go through you’. Matt set a quick pace, but everyone kept up. Tony kept an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. He knew should something threaten him, his security team’s attention would instantly snap back to him, and he wanted to avoid that if he could. Thankfully, they made it to the tower quickly. They slipped into Tony’s private elevator and were stepping out of it about a minute later. The helicopter was sitting on the landing pad, blades spinning. Todd and Bucky carefully loaded the dog into the copter and climbed in after him. Matt nodded to Tony as he stepped back while Happy clapped him on the shoulder.  
“Let me know how it goes!”   
Tony just nodded before he climbed in behind the other men. It was a tight squeeze, Tony didn’t usually have others in the helo with him, but it would do. Tony watched the pilot run through his last minute checks, then carefully lift off. Once they were in the air for a few minutes Tony called Steve and patched him in over their headphones. He made quick introductions then let Steve take over.

Tony only listened with half an ear while Steve asked Bucky for all the relevant information he would need. Tony was watching Bucky as he talked to Steve. His eyes were intense on his dog. He didn’t seem bothered by the blood coating his hands, but Tony figured if he had been a soldier then it probably wouldn’t. Todd would break in every now and then asking Steve for advice for what to do. As soon as Steve got all the relevant information he stopped talking to them and focused on getting himself and his team ready for their arrival. He would have a few techs meet them while he, another vet and their techs scrubbed. They would be waiting for them in the OR.

As they got closer to home, Tony could hear the strain in Todd’s voice. Just as they were touching down he said tersely, “Steve, I’m losing him.”  
The door was pulled open and several people were suddenly trying to get in the helicopter. Todd and Bucky were pushed gently out of the way and Steve’s staff took over. Bucky went to follow them but Tony put a gentle hand on his shoulder.  
“There is nothing you can do for him now. He’s in Steve’s hands. He'll do everything he can for him. Why don’t I show you where you can wash that blood off. Todd, you too.”  
Bucky looked after where they took his dog before he turned back to Tony and nodded. Tony offered what he hoped was a comforting smile then led them to the staff locker room. He gathered the stuff they would need to get clean, then led them to a bank of shower cubicles. In each there was a small area with a mirror and bench, then back further there were small shower stalls.   
“Perfectly private so the vets and techs aren’t showering and changing together like high school. You can either wait until I grab you scrubs before getting in the shower or I can just set them on the bench while you’re in there. Up to you.” Tony said.  
Todd shrugged before entering his cubicle.  
“You know me, Tony, I don’t care. It’s not like I haven’t showered in front of others before.”  
“I was in the Army. Privacy wasn’t really a thing,” Bucky said as he disappeared into his own.   
Seconds later Tony heard two showers start. He shook his head then went to get them both scrubs. He rummaged through the selection of new underwear they kept stocked for situations like this as well. Most of the staff had their own underwear in their lockers, but they kept a stash for emergencies. He knew Todd’s sizes from previous hospital stays, for both of them, and he guessed Bucky’s. He set the clothes on the bench then went to the main part of the locker room to wait for them. 

Todd showed up first, about ten minutes later. He joined Tony while he waited for Bucky. He was only another few minutes. His long hair was dripping, soaking the shoulders of his scrub top.   
“There are several hairdryers around if you want to dry that,” Tony said, looking up from his phone.   
Bucky thought about it for a moment, then nodded his head with a quiet “Thanks”.   
Tony directed him to a drawer that held a blow dryer and several combs. Tony went back to his bench and tried to pretend that he wasn’t watching him. Tonys still wasn’t sure what it was about the man that was drawing his attention so much. He was happy with how his life was, thank you very much. Tony finished his email then turned to Todd, who was leaning back against the wall behind him.  
“How do you want to get back to the city? You can borrow one of my cars or you can take the helo.”  
When Todd didn’t answer right away, Tony continued, “Of course you can stay the night at the house if you want to. You know you are always welcome.”  
“You know, I appreciate that,” Todd said with a slight smile. “However, my brother is going to pick me up. He should be here soon. He texted me to let me know that Happy told him that I was out here. He’s only about an hour north of here, so he’s going to backtrack a bit to get me.”  
“Yeah, I remember now. Your fishing weekend, right?”  
“Yup, just the two of us, a cooler of beer and some poles. It should be a nice way to pass the weekend. It’ll probably be the last time for the year. Neither of us are into ice fishing.”  
Tony laughed as he said, “that’s definitely not my idea of a good time.”  
Todd stood and stretched. “I’m gonna head out so he doesn’t have to wait for me. I’ll see you Monday. Shoot me a text, let me know if the dog makes it, would you?”  
“Sure, no problem,” Tony said, standing as well. “Do you remember the way out? You aren’t usually in the hospital.”  
“Yup. I’m good. Thanks, Tony,” Todd held out his fist and Tony bumped it.   
The billionaire watched him walk off down the hallway, whistling. He laughed and shook his head. He hadn’t seen anything keep that man down and they had been through some, as he calls them, FUBAR situations together.

Tony heard the whir of the engine shut off and looked up from the email he just got from Pepper about a meeting she had been in. He decided it could wait until later as Bucky stepped back into the room, dark chocolate colored hair loose around his face and shoulders.   
“We were never properly introduced. Sorry about that. I’m Tony Stark.”  
Bucky shot him a wry grin.   
“Ya gotta be livin’ under a rock to not know who you are, Mr, Stark.”  
“It’s Tony. I’m only Mr. Stark when I’m working.”  
“I’m James Barnes. I go by Bucky.”  
Tony looked him over then asked, “How’d you get a name like that?”  
“From my middle name. Buchanan.” He explained. “Little sisters.”  
Tony chuckled and said, “I guess that explains it.”

Tony’s phone beeped and he looked down at it. His brow furrowed as he read through the long message. He looked back up and found deep blue eyes looking into his. Tony took a deep breath then began to explain.  
“That was one of the vet techs. Steve assessed your dog. He has internal bleeding, several broken bones. It’s going to be a long surgery and even if he makes it through the surgery Steve can’t guarantee he’ll make it. There is a lot of damage. But, Steve and his team are going to try. If anyone can save him, it’s them.”  
Bucky’s eyes closed, then he nodded once. Tony studied the face before him. He could read the fear, it was practically pouring off of the other man.   
“Look, I know you probably won’t want to, but let me make you something to eat. It’s going to be hours before Steve is done. It’s been a while since breakfast.”  
Bucky took a deep breath and his shoulders relaxed. “Yeah, sure. That’d be great, thanks.”  
“Least I can do,” Tony said easily, leading the way out of the room.

A shiver went down his back at the deep laugh from beside him. He turned to the taller man and arched an eyebrow, hoping that he hadn’t noticed the original reaction.   
“Pal, I think ya passed the ‘least ya can do’ when you flew a stranger and his dog to get medical help.” Bucky said the corner of his mouth turned up.  
Tony just waved his hand around and Bucky laughed lowly again. The walk to the staff kitchen passed in easy silence. Tony wasn’t used to this and it was starting to make him anxious. He did his best to hide it. He couldn’t let anyone know until he had some time alone to think about it. He caught Bucky’s look out of the corner of his eye. He was looking around the brightly lit kitchen with a small smile on his face, the first Tony had seen. It made him look far more approachable, softening the severe look he had been wearing all day. Tony had dubbed it his resting murder face.   
“You cook?” Tony asked as he moved to dig through the fridge.  
“Bake actually. I got out of the Army and went to culinary school. I own and operate Bucky’s Buns. I make the best cinnamon buns in New York. Well according to Food Magazine anyway.” He shrugged, slouching slightly against the counter beside the range. “However, I can help with whatever ya are makin’... Probly.”  
Tony shook his head as he placed a bag of carrots in front of him.  
“Can you julienne these?”  
“Match sticks, right?”  
Tony nodded. “If you get those right, you can do the peppers next.”  
“Fancy words for matchsticks,” Bucky grumbled. “Just say matchsticks.”

They worked in comfortable silence, cutting up vegetables and chicken. Tony wanted to keep him talking but he had noticed his eyes growing dark and wasn’t sure how to break that. Once he had the chicken in the wok he waved his silent companion into an empty chair on the other side of the island. He was trying to think of something comforting to say when the other man’s husky voice interrupted.   
“I had been back from Iraq for six weeks, I wasn’t adjusting well. That was my fifth tour over there and I was done. I didn’t reenlist. I thought it was going to be a career, but I just couldn’t do it anymore. Came back and I had no idea how to be in a place that was, for the most part, safe. I was on all the time. I couldn’t sleep, was hardly eating. I thought for a while that as bad as it was over there, it was easier than over here.” Bucky ran shaking hands over his face, then into his hair. When he looked up his blue eyes were haunted. “I know how messed up that sounds. I do, but I didn’t remember how to be a civilian. Puddles saved my life.”  
Tony choked on air. “Puddles? That monster of a dog is called Puddles?”  
Bucky laughed. When he opened his eyes again Tony could see the tears in them.  
“Yeah, his name is Puddles. I got him as a puppy. He’s a Caucasian Ovcharka. A Russian sheepdog. Russia’s military uses them. They are a loyal breed, fierce as hell and hard to handle. You have to be the alpha with ‘em. Period. If you don’t have the right personality you can’t control ‘em. They are dangerous animals if you don’t. So, some idiot bought this dog, then realized that they couldn’t handle ‘im. So he ended up at the pound. I don’t even know why I was there that day, but as I was walking past, I had to go in. They were going to euthanize him. Sayin’ he was too dangerous. I convinced the manager not to. She wasn't thrilled about puttin’ down such a young dog anyway. He was about a year at that point. Now he’s four, completely trained, but I take precautions in public and he’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”  
“That’s an amazing story,” Tony said, looking up from the wok. “But you left out an important part.”  
Bucky shot him a confused look.  
“The Name!” Tony shot back, slightly exasperated.   
A slow grin slid over the man’s face and Tony knew he was messing with him.   
“That’s easy,” Bucky said slowly. “It’s because when Puddles lays on the ground he looks like a puddle of fuzz. It’s like the dog goes boneless or deflates or something. It’s crazy.”  
“Really? That’s it? You call a dog that size Puddles because he goes boneless when he lays down?”  
“Now listen here Starbucks - yes I saw you watching me outside the Starbucks and everyone knows you are a coffee addict- don’t go mocking the name of my dog. It’s a good name.” He said, pointing a finger at Tony.  
“Yeah, sure, maybe for a tiny poodle or something, but not for a man eater like that!” Tony waved the wooden spoon he was stirring the food with around, flinging a bit of pepper at Bucky. He picked it up and popped it in his mouth while light color appeared high on Tony’s cheeks.  
Buck hummed lowly. “It’s good. What’s in the sauce?”  
Tony, fighting the embarrassment -him embarrassed!- listed off the ingredients softly. Bucky shot him a slight smirk before he changed the subject.

“So, how exactly do you know your way around this place so well? And are you sure we should be in here? I mean, I know you have a reputation for doing what you want, when you want, but... I don’t think I completely buy that.”  
“I own the place. Well, Steve and I do. So, technically I can go where ever I please.” Tony answered with a shrug. “Steve wanted a better place and I have the money to make it happen. So he and I figured out what he wanted and what was needed and I made it happen. This is the best animal hospital in the US. And that is entirely because of the staff Steve assembled. Some of the best vets are here. We live in the house that’s about,” Tony gestured vaguely to the west. “Five miles that way. We own all the land. There’s a lot on this campus besides the animal hospital, but ours is the only house. Overall the campus is about 100 square miles. The Stark family has owned this land for… Oh, five generations. My Grandfather was the one who started developing it. The house went up while the hospital was. A lot of what I do can be done from home,. I just go into the city when I have to. A few times a week.”

The two men fell into a comfortable silence. Tony didn’t usually enjoy silence, but with Bucky, it felt easy. Tony plated up two servings of the stir fry, and slid one to the other man, then sat across from him. The easy quiet continued until they both had several bites of food in them when Bucky broke it.  
“This is really good.”  
“Contrary to popular opinion, I do know how to cook,” Tony said with an easy smile.  
Bucky studied him for a moment, ate another bite, then said “Yeah, I can see that.”  
Tony arched an eyebrow. “Most people wouldn’t.”  
“I’m not most people.”

They fell silent again, as they both ate their meal. Tony felt completely at ease when he usually felt the need to fill the silence when he was with other people, with the exception of Steve and Rhodey. Tony couldn’t get over how at ease he felt with this man. Bucky told Tony a bit about his time in the military and Tony told him how he took his father’s national company and made it an international one that went from making weapons exclusively to revolutionizing the green energy business. Bucky helped Tony do the dishes and pack away the leftovers for the surgery team. Tony slapped labels on the plastic containers the leftovers were in so no one else would eat them. Tony explained that the staff was good about that. 

After making sure the kitchen was clean, Tony lead Bucky to the staff lounge. It was deserted when they entered. Along one wall there was a counter that had several coffeepots, a couple of espresso machines and several one cup beverage makers with a variety of beverage options. There were several sofas, recliners, tables and chairs. A large TV was mounted in one corner of the room. They settled onto one of the sofas and Tony tossed him the remote to the TV.   
“Feel free to find something to watch. There is cable and pretty much any movie you could want as well as any tv series you could probably want. I’ve got to do some work, but I can do it from my phone.”  
“Don’t let me stop ya from doin’ what ya need to. Ya have done so much for me already. I don’t want to keep ya from doin’ what ya need to.”  
Tony just waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t miss anything that can’t be rescheduled.” Tony focused on his phone, pulling up holo screens. He was vaguely aware of Bucky’s surprised, awed look before he lost himself in the work he had to do. As he worked he was aware of Bucky beside him. The other man found and was watching MASH reruns. Bucky shot the holo screens a shocked look and watched Tony manipulate them for several long seconds, getting a grin from Tony, before turning to the tv. They passed the next hour and a half like that before someone came into the room. The two men on the sofa stood up when they saw Steve. He stood just inside the door in surgical scrubs. Tony could see how tired he was, but he didn’t have the pinched look around his blue eyes when he lost a patient, so Tony was able to relax a bit. 

“Mr. Barnes, I’m Doctor Steve Rogers. My team and I have been operating on Puddles for the past several hours. He had several broken bones, most notably his left hind leg. We were able to save it. It’s going to require physical therapy, but he should regain full use of it in time. We have rehab services here. I’d like to see Puddles using our water treadmill for several weeks to try to regain his strength. There were several areas of internal bleeding. Puddles kidneys, liver and bladder were all damaged, but we managed to repair it. He’s going to have a long recovery in front of him and there is much you are going to have to learn about how to care for him, but I fully believe that he can make a full recovery.”

Tony felt the man beside him slump slightly. Bucky’s voice was slightly hoarse when he said “Thank you, Doctor. I can’t tell you what this means to me.”  
Steve smiled easily, “I understand. I’m glad my team and I were able to repair the damage. My team is finishing up getting him settled. As soon as they are done, you are welcome to go see him and sit with him as he starts to wake up. We’ve found that having their people with them helps to keep them calm.”  
Bucky was nodding before Steve even finished speaking. “Yeah, that would be great. I’ll do whatever I need to to help Puddles.”  
Steve was about to speak again when a young woman came into the room. She looked at everyone with a pleasant smile then addressed Bucky. “Mr. Barnes, we are ready for you if you’d like to see Puddles.”  
“Yes, thank you. And please, call me Bucky. You too, Doc, sorry I didn’t offer before.”  
Steve just waved his comment away as Bucky followed the nurse out. When they were gone, Steve turned to Tony and raised his eyebrows. “What to tell me what that was all about?”  
“Why don’t we go to the kitchen? I made stir fry for you all. Let’s heat you up some dinner and we can talk.” Tony said, not meeting Steve’s eyes.   
Tony ignored the way those blonde eyebrows pulled down as he led him out of the room.

Once Steve had a bowl of stir fry in front of him and Tony was cradling a mug of coffee between his palms, Steve said gently, “Tones, talk to me. What’s going on? This isn’t like you to bring some stranger to me to fix their dog.”  
Tony didn’t look up at him. He continued to play with the mug in his hands.   
“Tony,” Steve said. “Don’t block me out. Whatever is going on, we’re a team. We’ll deal with it together.”  
Tony looked up at Steve, uncertainty in his dark eyes. He watched Steve’s kind blue eyes fill with concern.  
“Talk to me,” Steve whispered. “Whatever is going on we can deal with. Just don’t shut me out.”  
“I, please, I don’t want to give you the wrong idea. Nothing happened-”  
“I never thought it would. I know you. I’m not accusing you of anything.” Steve cut in softly.  
Tony ran his hand through his hair and let out a deep breath. “I don’t know. I... I feel like I know him. I feel comfortable with him. The same way I do with you, the way I feel with Rhodey.”  
Steve’s eyebrows climbed up his forehead, but he didn’t say anything. Tony dropped his eyes to his cup and turned it several times before saying quietly “Please, say something Steve.”  
“I’ll be honest, I don’t really know what to say. You don’t make connections with people, not like that, easily. I’m just surprised.”  
Tony darted a glance up at Steve, then said, “I want to offer him a guest room. You said Puddles will be here for a while. He lives in the city and the commute will be a killer. I think he’ll want to take a few days off, at least until both he and Puddles are a bit more settled. I’d like to let him stay with us.”  
Steve rubbed his forehead with his fingertips as he groaned out “Tony.”  
“Steve-”  
Steve held up a hand indicating that he didn’t want Tony to talk and Tony fell silent. 

They sat in silence for several long, uncomfortable minutes. Steve ate more of his stir fry and Tony refilled his coffee twice more.   
“Would it matter what I said?” Steve eventually asked.  
Tony reared back as if Steve slapped him. “That’s not fair,'' Tony said quietly, hurt. “I have never made a decision like this without talking to you. If you say no, the answer is no. I have tried so hard to make sure I’ve included you in any major decision I’ve made. I’ve tried so hard to not be like Howard was with Mom.” Tony turned away, not wanting Steve to see the hurt on his face. “I guess I didn’t do as well as that as I had thought I had.”

Tony heard Steve curse behind him, then the legs of the chair scrape across the floor. The next thing Tony knew Steve’s large hands were settling over his shoulders.   
“I’m sorry.” Steve whispered. “You’re right. That wasn't fair, or accurate. You have included me in every decision, even ones you didn’t have to. I had no right to say that. You are so much better than Howard was. I’m sorry.”  
Tony shrugged him off, not ready to have Steve touching him. He moved back to his seat at the table, hoping that Steve would get the hint, but the big blonde remained standing near the coffee maker. “Walk me through this Tony. I can’t believe you want to invite some stranger into our home and you want me to be okay with it.”  
“What do you want me to say, Steve?” Tony burst out, slapping his palms on the table in frustration, before jerking the right through his hair. “I couldn’t explain it when it was you I was suddenly getting close to, but that was ok because you seemed to feel it too. I told you what happened with Rhodey and it was ok, was that only because it was before you? But now you want me to explain? I can’t! You know that!”

“I’m not asking you to explain the connection you feel to people, I know you can’t. I know sometimes you are just drawn to people. I just don’t know why you want to invite him into our home.”  
Tony looked up into Steve’s hard blue eyes. His voice was quiet when he replied “I have never once said anything about any of the people you have brought into our home, even when I didn’t know them, even when they made me uncomfortable. I didn’t say a word when Clint moved in for almost a year, even when you never even discussed it with me. I didn’t say a word when Natasha stayed with us for over a month, even knowing the history between us, you never even asked me if it was okay with me. They are your friends, I made sure they were welcome in our home. I now understand that I am not extended that same courtesy. It’s good to know moving forward. I am going to go check on him, I know you still have a long shift ahead of you so I’ll see you tomorrow. I have a deadline coming up.”  
“Tony, don’t be like that,” Steve said, reaching for him as he walked by him.  
“Please do not touch me,” Tony said firmly, as he started to wash out his cup.  
Steve sighed and reached for him again. Tony whirled on him, jaw set. “I told you not to touch me. Even though who I invite into my home is apparently not my decision I do still get to decide that.”  
Steve’s eyes went wide and Tony felt a flash of remorse, but he just set his mug in the rack to dry and left the room.

Tony needed some time to think, so he took the long way to the recovery suites. By the time he made it, his head was a little clearer. They didn’t tend to fight often, but when they did they tended to be quite hurtful for both of them. But, they would work it out. They would give each other space for a day or so then talk it over. When he was outside the door to Puddle’s room he pushed aside the guilt he was feeling about his fight with Steve and knocked lightly. Through the glass he saw Bucky look up and smile. Tony pushed open the door and asked if he could come in.  
“Sure, c’mon in.”  
Tony closed the door carefully behind him, not wanting to disturb the dog who seemed to be sleeping.  
“It’s ok,” Bucky said. “He’s pretty out of it. They don’t want him moving much for the next eight hours or so, so they are keeping him on what, for humans, is known as twilight sedation. After that, they’ll start getting him up and moving. The nurse told me I should try to get some sleep during that time.”

“It’s a long way back to the city, Bucky. You are more than welcome to crash in one of my guest rooms. I have quite a few.” Tony offered, ignoring the warning in the back of his head. He knew Steve wasn’t going to like this, but at the moment he didn’t care.  
“Are you sure about that Tony?” Bucky asked. “You’ve already done so much for me and for Puddles. I really don’t want to impose more than I already have.”  
Tony smiled at the other man. “I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t sure. You haven’t been an imposition.”  
Tony watched as Bucky considered the offer, looking back at Puddles several times before saying quietly “thank you. That would be great. Tomorrow I’ll see if someone can’t bring my car out here so I can get into the city easier.”  
“Don’t worry about it. That offer, just so you know, is for as long as Puddles is here. I know you probably can’t be away from your bakery that long, but it seems crazy to drive all the way out here, just for a few hours to then drive all the way back to the city.”  
“That’s a heck of an offer, Starbucks. Are you sure the doc is okay with this?” Bucky asked, blue eyes wide.   
Tony waved a hand. “Don’t worry about Steve. I’m inviting you.”  
Bucky seemed to weigh his options. “If I stay in the city I’ll only be able to spend about an hour with Puddles a day and they do want me here for his PT. It would be much easier to have my staff cover the afternoon and evening than a chunk right in the middle of the day. I could open earlier and Sam knows how to close the place down.” Bucky looked up at Tony seriously. “Are you sure that the doc is ok with this? It would make everything so much easier, but I really don’t want to make him upset with you. He reminds me a bit of my old Captain…”

Tony couldn’t help but laugh at that. “For a man who was never in the military, he does give off some strong disapproving officer vibes. Look, Bucky, I’m not going to lie to you. He isn’t a fan of the idea, but I have put up with his friends staying with us, he can tolerate you. Plus, you are going to be gone a lot more than any of his friends ever were. I want to do this for you.”  
Bucky studied him and Tony tried not to fidget under his intense stare. “Why? You have already done so much for me, why are you doing this too?”  
Tony let out a long sigh and slumped slightly. “I said I didn’t want to lie to you, so I’m not going to. This is going to sound crazy, I know, but the moment I laid eyes on you I felt an instant connection, a pull. I’ve only felt it two other times in my life, I don’t trust easy or often, contrary to what this seems, and there are only four people I’m close to in my life. The two other people I’ve felt an instant connection to are Steve and my oldest friend named James Rhodes. The other two people I’m close to are my CEO and my chauffeur/bodyguard/head of security. I felt that pull, that connection, for the third time today with you.”

Tony tried not to fidget as the ex-soldier studied him. Finally, a small smile broke across his face. “I’m not a man who is taken by… Flights of fancy, that’s just not me. Never has been. But there is something about you Starbucks that is drawing me in. I’m not a man to overstep bounds, but I don’t want to walk away. I can’t say I feel this… connection that you seem to, but I am drawn to you in a way I’m not used to. I feel more at ease around you than almost anyone else I’ve ever met, and I just met you! The few deep bonds I’ve felt were with men I served with. I don’t know what this is, but I’d like to see where it’s going.”  
Tony smiled at the other man, tension easing from his shoulders. He knew inviting Bucky into his home was going to cause a fight with Steve, but Tony meant what he said, he was always gracious to Steve’s friends; Steve could deal this once. Heck, even Rhodey rarely stayed with them. “Take all the time you need,” Tony said softly, then motioned to the chair in the corner. “I’ll hang out over there until you’re ready to go.”  
Bucky stopped him before he took his first step. “Don’t. There is nothing more I can do for Puddles here. I should take the nurses’ advice and get some sleep while he’s still out.”  
“Okay. Let’s head home then. We’ll take one of the golf carts from security. They can pick it up on one of their rounds.”  
“Don’t they need it?” Bucky asked.  
Tony shook his head. “I’ve made sure they would have extra, just in case. There are usually around seven or eight that aren’t used at any given time.”  
“Is there anything you don’t prepare for?” Bucky teased, small simile on his face.  
Tony shrugged. “I try to see as many eventualities as I can.”

The trip to the house was filled with easy small talk. Tony lead him to the side of the house and showed him the separate entrance. “Okay, this is pretty much an apartment. It’s a living room, small kitchenette - you can’t really cook in it, but it does have a microwave and a mini fridge as well as a coffee maker, bathroom and bedroom. It does connect to the rest of the house. It wasn’t really designed for someone to live there, but it does tend to be where we put guests if they want their own space. You are more than welcome in the main kitchen and to anything you find in the fridge or cupboards. And of course to the communal areas of the house. We have a gym with a pool, hot tub and sauna, a fully equipped home theater, a game room. Make yourself at home.”

Tony saw the surprise on Bucky’s face as he let him into the rooms. He didn’t mention that originally this was built in case his mother ever visited. He really didn’t want her in one of the guest rooms in the main part of the house. Tony would have rather put Bucky in one, but he hoped that this would appease Steve a bit. And, added bonus, Bucky probably wouldn't hear the fight that was going to happen. Tony and Steve rarely fought but Tony thought this one was going to be a bad one. He didn’t want Bucky feeling guilty for that. Tony explained to him why there was no key and introduced him to Jarvis. Tony couldn’t deny the pride he felt seeing Bucky exclaiming over his creation.   
“Starbucks, he is amazing.”   
Tony smiled. “There are cameras in here, but they won’t be activated unless you ask for Jarvis to do so. Same with microphones, without you turning them on, which you do on this panel on the wall,” Tony said, motioning to the far wall and the little touchscreen pad. “It also controls the heat and ac if Jarvis isn’t active. If Jarvis is, he can control everything in here. And I don’t keep the recordings. Jarvis deletes them every hour on the hour. Whether you allow him in here is up to you. Do know he is active in the rest of the house. If there isn’t anything else, I’ll leave you to get settled.”  
Bucky reached out and touched Tony’s elbow, making him pause before he left. “Thank you, Tony. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”  
“No problem,” Tony said with a smile before leaving the way he had come.

Tony looked up from the tiny circuits he was working on when Jarvis informed him that Steve was on his way to the lab. Tony let out a tired sigh as he straightened up, stretching out his back. He was not looking forward to this, but he wasn’t about to back down. He took a deep breath and carefully schooled his expression blank. He wasn’t going to lose his temper, he wasn’t going to allow Steve to bait him. When Steve stepped through the door with his jaw clenched and blue eyes hard, Tony knew this wasn’t going to end well.  
“Do we have to do this now, Steve? You’ve had a long day, so have I. Yours is over but I still have hours of work ahead of me. Can’t this wait until tomorrow?”  
“No, Tony,” Steve snapped. “It can’t wait.”  
Tony sighed and ran his hand through his hair.  
“Don’t act all putout. I wanted to have this conversation earlier.”  
“You were still at work Steve,” Tony reminded.   
“I know that.”  
Tony sighed. “What is this really about? Are you really that mad that I have this connection with someone else?”

Steve’s shoulders hunched. “I don’t know.”  
Tony studied him for a long moment before saying softly “Steve, are you jealous?”  
“No, of course not!” Steve denied.  
Tony’s eyes widened as he realized that was true. “Yeah, you are. Steve, you have nothing to be jealous of.”  
“I said I’m not,” the blonde said hotly.  
“Don’t lie to me Steve and stop lying to yourself,” Tony said as he shook his head. “You have no reason to be jealous.”  
“I know that!” Steve exclaimed, then continued softer. “I know that. I know it isn’t fair. I know I have no reason to be jealous, but I’ve always been a little jealous of you and Rhodey too.”  
“Really? I always just thought you didn’t like him. I could never figure out what he did that would make you dislike him. He couldn’t either, to be honest.”   
Steve balled up his fists and shoved them into his pockets. “What you have with him is so easy. You and I have to work at it.”  
“I’ve known Rhodey for several more years than I’ve known you. Plus, he kind of finished raising me in a way. He took on the role of big brother and protector at MIT. Our relationship is different than yours and mine. I wouldn’t want it any other way. Steve, my relationship with him isn’t better than the one I have with you. It’s just different. And you and I haven’t fought or argued in a long time. Sure, in the beginning, you and I had our differences, but we worked them out.” Tony said, leaning toward Steve.  
“I know,” Steve sighed. “I know. I don’t like sharing you and that isn’t fair. Especially when I take it out on you. I’m sorry, Tony.”

Tony’s face softened as he looked at the slumped form in front of him. Steve looked up and met his eyes. He floundered first for a moment, searching for his words, then hesitantly spoke. “After my mom died, it was just me. She was the only person I was close to for a long time. And yeah, now I have friends, but no one nearly as close to me as you. I don’t want to go back to that existent after my mom died. I don’t want to be alone again. I don’t want to lose you. But I realize that I’m pushing you away.”  
Tony reached out to Steve, trying to keep his expression open, even though he was frustrated. “You said it yourself Steve, you’re pushing me away. That is the only way you are going to lose me. You know I don’t walk out on people I love.”  
“I’m sorry,” Steve whispered, not meeting Tony’s eyes.  
Tony’s face completely softened. He stood from his stool to wrap his arms around the big blonde. “I know.”   
Steve leaned into Tony, finally starting to relax and Tony felt himself start to relax in return. They stood like that for several long moments before Steve pulled away.  
“Bucky’s here, right?” Steve asked.  
Tony studied Steve’s face then said with quiet confidence “Yeah, he is. I put him in the apartment.”  
“Okay,” Steve said. “I’m going to go to bed. It’s been a long day and I can see you still have work to do. I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
“See you tomorrow.

The three men settled into a routine pretty quickly. Steve was in the kitchen three days after Bucky moved in, making breakfast before he went in for an unusually early surgery, when Bucky walked in. Steve looked up from the skillet he was making an omelette in and nodded to the other man.  
“Mornin’ Doctor Rogers,” Bucky said from just inside the room.  
Steve nodded once sharply. “Don’t let me stop you from doing what you need to do. Tony said you leave around now to go into the city.”  
Bucky hesitated for several long seconds, before moving into the room. He started coffee in one of the large, 30 cup coffee urns, putting almost three full cups of grounds in the filter.  
“You like your coffee that strong?” Steve asked, eyebrows raised.  
“Nope. But Tony does and he drinks his black, as I’m sure you know. This stuff is like sludge. I’ll thin mine out with milk. I don’t know how he drinks this stuff. Anyway, if I beat him up, I put on a pot.”  
Steve nodded, turning back to his meal. Bucky got his 32 oz tumbler out of the cabinet and poured milk in the bottom. While he waited for the coffee to brew he got out a protein bar and an apple. The apple he cut in half, dug out the seeds, and smeared a little peanut butter on and ate at the counter. He looked up when the blonde stepped up next to him, washing his plate, fork and skillet in the sink. He looked over when he was done and said “If you want, feel free to move into the main part of the house. We have plenty of guest rooms.”  
Bucky paused, not sure how to answer, but the other man, finished with the dishes, turned and left the kitchen. Bucky was still standing there, bemused, several minutes later when Tony walked in. 

“Morning Buck-a-roo,” Tony smiled. “How are you?”  
Bucky smiled back. “Hey Tones. I’m good. You? How was your meeting yesterday?”  
“Good, good. It went okay. They signed on so, that’s good. How’s the man eater?”  
Bucky laughed. “Puddles is fine. He’s getting stronger every day. Another week or so and he should be ready to be released.”  
“Good, I’m glad he’s doing well.”  
Bucky hummed in agreement. “You meeting us for PT again today?”  
“Yup. What can I say,” Tony grinned. “Your man eater is growing on me.”  
“He is not a man eater. I keep telling you that. Though,” Bucky looked him up and down. “I have fed him bigger steaks than you.”  
“Hey!” Tony shouted, pointing at him. “There is no way! I am not that short! I can’t help it if you, and your dog, are just abnormally large!”  
“Explain the Doc then? Plus, you’ve shown me pictures of you and your Rhodey. Pretty sure that the last one with you tucked under his arm was only a few months ago.” Bucky shot back, smirk in place.   
“I’m not short,” Tony grumbled.  
Bucky just laughed at him. He turned, got Tony a mug, filled it with coffee and handed it over as a peace offering. Tony took it from him and practically inhaled the first quarter of it.  
“I really don’t see how you are still alive. The strength of that stuff would kill lesser men and you practically breathe it.”  
“Honestly, I think I would die without it these days,” Tony shrugged.   
Bucky shook his head. He went back to doctoring his own coffee, adding just a touch of sugar. Tony bought the best coffee he had ever tasted. There was no way he could afford to sell this stuff in his bakery. “Before the Doc rushed outta here he told me to feel free to move into one of the guest rooms. Everything okay between you two?”  
“Yeah,” Tony sighed. “We’re okay. I feel like a bit of a dick for not realizing what was going on, but we’re okay. The choice is yours. If you like the apartment, you can stay, though it will get small when you have your miniature pony in there with you. Or you can move. The guest rooms are larger, but you won’t have a kitchenette or living room. It’s a bedroom with a sitting area and an ensuite. Just have Jarvis direct you if we aren’t around.”  
“Thank you, Tony. I really appreciate everything you have done for me.”  
“I know Bucky, you don’t need to keep thanking me. I’m more than happy to do it. But now, I’m pretty sure we both need to go.”  
Bucky looked down at his watch then cursed softly. “I shoulda been gone twenty minutes ago. Looks like I’ll be starting baking late today.”  
Tony laughed as he grabbed his coffee and power bar before running from the room. Tony topped up his mug then followed Bucky from the kitchen.

Tony spent his day dealing with contracts Pepper sent him to review, working on a new part for War Machine and updating Dum-E’s wheels. When Steve got done in surgery, Tony joined him for lunch. After lunch Tony left Steve napping lightly on one of the sofas in the living room. He went to the hospital to watch Bucky and Puddles work their way through PT. When he got there they had already started, so he hung out to one side watching as they went through the routine they had been taught. When they were done Bucky lead Puddles over to Tony. He reached out to scratch behind Puddles’ ears and he couldn’t help but smile when his tail started wagging like crazy. He ignored the smirk the other man was sending him.

Tony and Bucky both looked up when the dog’s head snapped to the doorway. Both men were surprised to see Steve standing there. Puddles tail started wagging even harder and Steve smiled and made his way over. He looked to Bucky for permission before starting to pet the giant dog.  
“He’s doing well,” Steve commented. “You’re doing well with him. With the work you are doing with him, he is going to recover just fine.”  
“Thanks, Doc,” Bucky said.  
Steve looked up at him, blue eyes soft. “It’s Steve, please.”  
Bucky nodded. “Steve it is.”

Six months later Tony stood leaning against the doorjamb watching as Bucky and Steve watched baseball on the huge tv, yelling and throwing popcorn when the ref made a call they didn’t agree with, Puddles sprawled between them on the sofa- in what had been Tony’s spot. Looking at them now, Tony would bet no one would realize what a rocky start their relationship had had. He smiled when Puddles looked up at him and wagged his tail, getting the others’ attention. The smiles he got in return soothed the last of his worries about the situation away. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this happy; he knew the other two men felt the same. He couldn’t wait to see what the future had in store for them. He knew as long as Steve and Bucky were by his side, they could handle anything.


End file.
